LOS ANGELES – While they’re certainly expecting different results from their UFC 213 co-headliner, Robert Whittaker and Yoel Romero agree on one thing: It’s about playing it smart.

Whittaker (18-4 MMA, 9-2 UFC) and Romero (12-1 MMA, 8-0 UFC) will determine a newinterim middleweight champion next Saturday. And, much like his opponent, the 26-year-old Australian resident believes sticking to the gameplan – while fully acknowledging his opponent’s skillset – will be key for a successful night.

“He’s a tough dude,” Whittaker told MMAjunkie during a recent media day promoting the event in Las Vegas. “He has knockout power, and he has explosive power all the fight. From the first minute to the last minute, he’s explosive and dangerous. He’s got great wrestling, which can help him control the fight. And he’s got knockout power. You mix those two together, all around it’s a good formula.

“But I’m going to control this fight. I think it’s going to be a smart fight, and whoever pushes their game plan on one another is going to win this fight. You’ve got to dictate the pace. I have a set of skills that can do that, so we’ll see.”

UFC 213 takes place July 8 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Romero vs. Whittaker co-headlines the pay-per-view main card following prelims on FS1 and UFC Fight Pass.

Related

The respect is understandable, considering the two come off the division’s most impressive streaks: Whittaker has won his past seven, while Romero comes off an eight-fight run. Other than a similarly destructive path, the two share the accolades of having been the only men to defeat Ronaldo Souza in the octagon.

What differed was the manner in which they succeeded. While Romero needed the judges’ (split) scorecards to beat “Jacare” in their controversial UFC 194 encounter back in 2015, Whittaker needed less than two rounds to dispatch the Brazilian grappling ace via TKO at their UFC on FOX 24 high-stakes affair in April.

That disparity, however, is not at all something that Whittaker sees as an advantage heading into his own encounter with Romero.

“This isn’t video games,” Whittaker said. “It means nothing to me. Every fight and every matchup is different. And how people match up will effect the results drastically. You can have one fighter, may beat another fighter who beat another fighter. It doesn’t mean anything.”

Whittaker, who’s currently ranked No. 4 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA middleweight rankings, believes the regard is mutual. After all, No. 2 Romero wouldn’t have become such a “high-caliber competitor” by underestimating opponents.

But, at the end of the day, being aware of his opponent’s dangerous game doesn’t override Whittaker’s confidence in his own.

“I just see me putting too much hurt on him,” Whittaker said. “His will might be there, but the human body can only take so much damage. I’ve just got to get my hands on him, and I will do that.”